IRMA- Gujrat

Having been born in a very humble background in the state of Jharkhand and seeing the quality of living of the people around me, I had a constant urge to do something meaningful to make a long-lasting change in society. By choosing a profession in rural management, I can use my knowledge and abilities to enhance the quality of life for rural residents. 36 faculty members, including 2 adjunct faculty members, work full-time for IRMA. With a stupendous faculty: student ratio of 1:8 most academic staff members have doctorates or fellowships from prestigious national and international institutions and universities. Some of the top academics with extensive corporate experience are part of the IRMA faculty. The primary aim of the seasoned faculty members from reputable national and international universities is to inspire and develop the thinkers of tomorrow to work proficiently in creating a better world to live in.

The 43rd batch (2022-2024) of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) successfully completed the Summer Internship Segment (SIS) process between February 2 and February 8, 2023. The procedure involved 269 students being recruited by more than 69 recruiters. The PGDM(RM) 43 batch applicants also accepted internship offers from case competitions held by numerous illustrious organizations. In terms of the roles that were given and the disciplines that encompass them, the internship options brought a lot of diversity. Students collaborated with businesses all around the country in a variety of roles, including marketing, fund management, valuation research, market forecasting, market study and sales, value chain, and cost-efficacy evaluation. The highest stipend stood at 2.4 lacs breaking all previous records while the median and mean stipend were 50,000 and 62700 respectively.

The 42nd batch of students in IRMA's flagship PGDM(RM) curriculum had placement interviews set for January 4–12, 2023. The 42nd batch of IRMA's prestigious PGDM(RM) program received 100% placements, with an average CTC of INR 15.50 lakhs annually. The various processes and methods included endless conversations with recruiters by the Placements Office assisted by the placement preparation committee i.e. Chanakya Club. There were various Industry Connect Talks too, with 23 talks held between April and November 2022 (excluding pre-placement talks). There were 49 organizations taking part in the campus placement, and 399 job offers were made. Five of the 41 pre-placement offers that the batch was able to receive came from case competitions. The participant chooses to accept 36 of these offers. The mean CTC rose by 8.17 % but the highest and median packages stayed unchanged at 26.5 lac and 15.5 lac respectively. Nearly 42% of the batch got placed in the BFSI sector followed by FMCG and Retail.

Compared to last year there was a considerable hike in the fee structure at IRMA which might have been unjustified if not for the hike in the average placement statistics. Along with that, almost all major B school around the country has increased their fees to keep up with the demands and produce quality MBA graduates for corporates around the globe. To assist and provide financial support to students scholarships of up to 3 crores have been made available by IRMA to PGDM (RM) 2023–25 students in addition to various bank scholarships. A certain amount of the scholarships would only be awarded to female applicants. Key features of the scholarship program include: The scholarship can cover up to half of the cost of tuition. The scholarship in the first year (2023–2024) will be given out to a total of 20 students determined by the merit-based ranking with 10 females student reserved for the same. In the second year, it is based on academic achievement or the CGPA of the first year.

At its 60-acre, lush campus, IRMA provides top-notch educational infrastructure. Students benefit from an optimal environment for study, research, and project implementation thanks to IRMA's collaboration with government and non-governmental organizations. IRMA's facilities include a first-rate library in a three-room storage building that helps the institute's research program. The library can be used by students to gain abundant knowledge. Numerous books, journals, and a thesis on e-governance, sociology, environment, and gender are all included in the extensive library. Along with that, numerous clubs and committees are being run by the students notable mention like the Chanakaya club for placement preparation and so on. The ac classes are equipped with a projector, microphones, and other av aids to promote learning, demonstrating IRMA's dedication to providing a high-quality learning ecosystem. The campus also has infrastructural facilities to promote extracurricular activities.

The hostel accommodation complex for students consists of 15 buildings and has 494 completely furnished single rooms in total. The hostels offer exceptional opportunities for friendship by housing a thoughtful mixture of students from the management program's two cohorts and various ethnicities from different parts of the country. Additionally, an elected student body actively participates in the running of the hostel. The amenities are quite decent, despite some issues for the class of 2023–25 because Covid caused the construction of the new hostel block to be put on hold. A mess hall is available which can accommodate close to 500 people at once. The menu is decided every month by the student's committee ensuring that every state's appetite expectations are met. Additionally, the institute features an Amul parlor where snacks and Amul goods are sold until late at night. The institute serves wholesome food of the highest caliber.

The criteria for selecting students for the PGDM in Rural Management at Irma vary depending on different factors. Any graduate from any field of study who completed at least 15 years of education and has earned an overall grade point average (CGPA) of at least 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwD) or equivalent at the graduate level is eligible to enroll for IRMA's PGDM (RM) course and fill its form. For shortlisting candidates with variable cut-offs for distinct caste categories, IRMA accepts various test scores such as CAT, XAT, and CMAT. Earlier IRMA used to conduct an exam called IRMASAT(IRMA SOCIAL APTITUDE TEST) as the second round of admission for the shortlisted candidates. But now IRMASAT is no longer a part of the updated selection process for PGDM (RM) from 2022; instead, the college administers WAT and conducts online personal interviews (OPI). Group Activity (GA) is also not considered in the selection process. The application fee for the form was 2000 rupees.

There was no group discussion round for the admission procedure at IRMA. Instead of conducting a group discussion, Irma opted for OWAT i.e. Online Written Ability test as the first round after shortlisting candidates based on their CAT/XAT/CMAT scores. In the OWAT candidates were required to write a summary of about 200-300 words on a pictorial representation having a basic synopsis attached to it. It is generally conducted to analyze a candidate's rural aptitude knowledge along with written communication skills. After the OWAT the candidates are required to attend the Personal Interview round to get assessed on their managerial abilities, communication skills, and whether they are apt for a niche course that IRMA provides. The pi was conducted on both modes i.e. online and offline.